www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
POOLS START TO PROVIDE ALLERGY FREE SWIMMING
Skin rashes, asthma, red eyes and itchy skin caused by a reaction to chemicals continue to cause domestic and commercial swimming pool owners concern. While governing bodies try to sort out criteria for testing chlorine alternatives there’s more signs the products are growing in popularity as consumers look for allergy free swimming
hlorinated indoor swimming pools can cause asthma, according to research from several sources. Red eyes and itchy skin reactions are also laid at the door of over chlorinated pools. Equally, while swimming pools need to take into account consumers’ concern on allergies, it can’t risk any serious outbreak of illness from a pool and so the balance of chlorine v non-chlorine remains a delicate and a controversial one. New research studies into the effects of chlorine in swimming pools due out this autumn are expected to report not enough is being done to prevent the number of people suffering from allergies caused by swimming.
C This summer more cases of children being
affected by chlorine in swimming pools have been reported all over the UK.
One formal research report from Belgium follows on from the controversial study of Alfred Bernard, a toxicologist who found children who swam for the equivalent of one hour a week in an outdoor pool with chlorine were five times more likely to have asthma symptoms. Those with other propensities for allergic reactions were 10 times more likely to have increased lung problems. The official line within the specialist trade puts emphasis on safety and is unlikely to change. It says that it would be “foolish” to stray from the view that a chlorine product should always be present in water treatments. The view about the asthma research remains sceptical and the advice
“New research studies into the effects of chlorine in swimming pools due out this autumn are expected to report not enough is being done to prevent the number of people suffering from allergies caused by swimming”
of PWTAG (Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group) is that with so called “alternative treatments”, a residual oxidising disinfectant should always be present in the water as well.
A well run chlorinated pool shouldn’t smell say the traditionalists. If you can smell the chlorine then there probably isn’t enough of it in the water. The smell comes from the choramines and most of these will be broken down and eliminated if extra chlorine is added. Yet it remains true that despite the official line on chlorine, pool managers and owners face a growing level of concern from the public worried about allergies coming from specifically children swimming.
Domestic and commercial swimming pool owners and managers face a choice of standard chlorine based products or a growing range of chemical free products, some of which are considered to offer a similar standard of water quality.
The ongoing research throughout the world, although relatively small and low key, does succeed in building up the public’s conception of the problems with chlorine.
The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development, issued a draft document last autumn for review which is trying
FeatureNFree
Allergyame OCT 2010 SPN
71
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